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Driving in France

I am bringing a group of 8 people to Normandy, France in September 2012. I want to make sure I can drive a van for 8 total people (Iincluding me) with my Illinois Passenger Drivers License. We will be driving from Paris to Bayeux and then touring around Normandy to the World War 2 sites.

I am looking at a vehicle that will seat 8 people with luggage for a one week trip. I looked at the Mercedes Sprint and Vito. They are all friends and this is not my normal vocation so I was trying to do this by handling the driving. Not sure if I could rent a mini bus with a driver to do the driving to bayeux and maybe rent something there or in caen for driving around Normandy. Any thoughts?

Autoeurope shows a Mercedes Viano or a Renault Traffic which can carry 8 and 9 passengers respectively but luggage will be a concern. The Mercedes looks quite expensive but the Traffic might be a relatively good deal.

You´ll probably need to pickup in Paris at one of the larger distribution points (CDG for example) and to be very strict with your passengers about the luggage they can carry (definitely nothing larger than a 21¨ or 22¨ roll a board).

We hired a Mercades Viano last September via Europcar in the Dordogne (six people on board), picking up in Bordeaux and dropping off in Bergerac. The car was an automatic with AC, and really easy to drive and park, and just had standard insurance cover through Europcar. The challenge will be to ensure that the pickup point you choose has that model at hand, otherwise you may need to pick up from a larger depot. Also, if you have heaps of luggage and are on the road each day, rather than based in one accommodation location, there is really only enough room in the back area for 4-5 suitcases, which makes it harder with 8 adults' luggage.

Renault - Eurodrive - Car rental in France and Europe, Short term car lease in France and Europe Car rental in Paris, www.renaultusa.com My US DL was fine
great experience with the lease saved a tonne over rental.

You can legally drive a vehicle that holds up to 9 people (including the driver) without needing a special license. As pointed out, your problem will be accommodating the luggage and a roof rack may be your best solution. I rented a van like this a few times but I can't recall the make. It might have been a Fiat. Unless everyone packs super light you would definitely need a roof rack.

Yes it was a fiat minibus we rented and there was no issue at all with luggage. We had specifically asked for a model that could take a lot of luggage (the vehicle is slightly longer) and I was offered one that was often used by a hockey team (knowing they have bulky gear). But definitely tell your friends to pack light and favor duffle-bag type luggage rather than hard suitcases, if possible. We rented from France cars in Neuilly, near the Porte Maillot métro on the road to Normandy, so it would be a very convenient location for your route.

Take seriously the advice to get a 9-passenger van with a roof rack. I've been in those 9-passenger vans and the luggage will only fit if everyone has a small duffle bag - even then it's questionable. Your passengers will have to pack extremely lightly, even with a roof rack. Or rent two cars. You don't need a special license unless you rent something larger than a 9-passenger van.

Our experience is I rented a 9-seater minibus and there were 8 of us + luggage without a luggage rack. We all packed fairly light but we weren't cramped at all. Also being a woman who had only ever driven a Renault 5 and a Clio (both tiny cars), I was a little nervous at the idea of driving a larger vehicle. It turned out to be so easy. And since it was a diesel engine, we couldn't believe how much mileage we got out of it at a far lower cost we had anticipated: 80 euros for over 800 kilometers just over a year ago (Paris - Bayeux - Omaha Beach - Mont-St-Michel - Paris). So I don't think it would be any trouble at all. If the OP wants to bring more luggage, they will just need to get a luggage rack. It will be a little less fuel efficient for sure but the safest and easiest option.

If that can be of any help, I just found the car rental contract we had and the vehicle was a Fiat Scudo Panorama (category F). It is the equivalent of a Renault Traffic. Here is the company we rented from: http://www.francecars.co.uk/car-hire-renault-minibus-veh27.htm
We used their Neuilly agency as it is near the A13 highway to Normandy and near the Porte Maillot métro stop (avoiding us driving in Paris).
I also found our fuel receipt: 83.33 € dated September 29, 2010.
As stated before, a regular driver's licence is sufficient to drive a 9-seater vehicle. Anything above that would require a different licence.

I got a Renault Espace and crammed six people into that. It was a real tight fit when we had the luggage. Any vehicle that you get that has room for 8 folks and their luggage is going to have a lot of excess room when you aren't toting your luggage. I'd rather have two vehicles in your case (heck, I'd rather have had two in mine, but with six, it was at least plausible). The other thing is I wouldn't want to try to park a vehicle big enough for 8 passengers and their luggage. I rode in a Mercedes cab that might have been big enough to do this (we got all six of us, plus the driver and front passenger seat, with enough room for our luggage) that would probably work to cart around that size party, but it wouldn't have been any fun trying to park it in a normal parking space.

Wouldn't bother me in the least. I love to drive and am not comfortable in a car unless I'm behind the wheel. Forcing some nervous Nelly into driving when they don't want to or are afraid to is a recipe for disaster!

csgusa - you might get a better response if you start a new thread. But, yes, we leased a car in France some years ago when it was more economical to do so. The last couple of years we got a better rate overall by renting through autoeurope.com. Check out all the rental and leasing sites and compare.

21 days is not worth it for leasing. All the basic charges are front-loaded on the first 17 days of the lease: insurance, plates, registration, etc. If you are willing to take the "basic" rate offered by Kemwel and Autoeurope, meaning that the CDW is carried by your credit card, you will discover a vast price differenrential between the rental and the lease.

csgusa - you need to run the numbers yourself. The prices jump around and change (based on demand and such). The advantage of a lease is that you don't need to worry about insurance, get a brand new car and don't worry about gas in the tank when you return it - it is fully covered by insurance, usually no deductible. (It is in their interest to do so). I have done both ways - rent and lease. Prices vary, just depends. Auto Europe or Kemwell (a sister company to AE) can arrange both/either options for you. I think it was AE for rental and Kemwell for leasing. Or you can lease direct with the manufacturer.